Living as a mom

Archive for February 21st, 2009

C4 has been going to the Occupational Therapist for Sensory Integration Therapy since September, and the results are amazing! This past week her therapist began implementing the Alert Program (AP) with her. They use the idea of your body working like an engine. She asks C4, “How Does Your Engine Run?” The idea is to help C4 become aware of how alert she is feeling and learning to use different strategies to help her make changes in her state of alertness. Her therapist describes it as feeling like Tigger when you feel very excited, feeling like Eeyore when you are feeling sluggish, and feeling like Pooh when you feel just right.

I like how this program is empowering C4. It is teaching her that she is in control and can actually DO something when she is feeling out of sorts. I think in the end it will make a huge difference for her. I am already seeing how she is willing to do something to make herself feel better when I mention that she is acting like Tigger. She even tries certain strategies on her own. I know that soon enough she will be able to self-regulate independently.

Living as a mom means watching my child learn self-regulation.

Photo courtesy of lemuelinchrist